"The bill to ban orca shows and breeding programs at parks in California was introduced by state Assemblyman Richard Bloom, a Santa Monica Democrat, who has said he was inspired by the documentary film, "Blackfish," which tells the story of an orca that killed a trainer at SeaWorld's park in Orlando, Florida, in 2010.

The decision to send the bill back for further study allows the state assembly to sidestep a tough issue in an election year because the study will not be complete until the middle of next year - after the November Congressional and statewide elections and during a new legislative session.

It also removes incoming Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, a Democrat, from the uncomfortable position of being caught between liberal supporters and SeaWorld, which provides thousands of jobs in her home district of San Diego."